Thrift Radiates Happiness Blog

The Birmingham Architectural Association and the Royal Institute of British Architects in the West Midlands are inviting you to take part in an interactive debate and Q&A on the importance of design culture in Birmingham and the West Midlands.Alongside art & architecture showcase Thrift Radiates Happiness this 1 hour debate aims to touch on the great value that quality design, art and culture bring to the city and aims to raise awareness of their common purpose in making cities and communities healthier, happier and more desirable places to live and work.Are we in Birmingham doing a good job in providing the conditions that help design culture thrive? What can we do better? Birmingham lost out on the 2013 City of Culture bid - for a good reason, or undeservedly?These questions and more will be discussed by our exciting panel of speakers from the world of art and architecture, hosted by Philip Singleton, CEO at Millennium Point:Rita McLean – Birmingham Civic Society, Chairman of the Heritage CommitteeRuth Reed – Former RIBA President; Programme Director, PGdip Architectural PracticeMarcus Wilkins - Arts and Business Cultural Champion, AedasElly Clarke - International Artist & Thrift Radiates Happiness contributorThe event will also see the launch of an ideas design competition in collaboration with the Birmingham School of Architecture, fostering the relationship between students, local practices and arts & culture organisations.Kerry-Ann O’Neill, President of the Birmingham Architectural Association said about the event: “We are delighted to be part of Thrift Radiates Happiness, an event that showcases not only the great arts scene in our city, but also its architectural wealth in both the architectural community and the built environment. For this occasion we decided to bring together key speakers from the fields of arts, heritage and architecture to discuss how important it is for a city to have a vibrant design culture – in architecture and in the arts. This collaborative project is a prime example of what we can achieve and offer to the public, and we would love to invite everyone to debate what they think about the state of design and culture in Birmingham.”Book your free place now on eventbrite. Please follow us on twitter to submit your questions or email us on riba.westmidlands@riba.orghttps://twitter.com/RIBAWestMidshttps://twitter.com/Birm_ArchYou can also download the event flyer via this link.